4. Glossary

Bentonite; Bentonite

Very fine clay used to prepare drilling muds, with thixotropic properties to support hole walls and transport cuttings.

Drilling Mud; Boue de forage

Fluid used during drilling to evacuate cuttings, cool and lubricate the tool, and stabilize the hole walls.

Cake; Filter Cake

Deposition of fine drilling mud particles on the hole walls, forming a barrier that stabilizes the hole and limits fluid loss.

Tungsten carbide; Carbide de tungstène

Extremely hard material used for cutting tools in soft to medium-hard formations.

Core drilling; Coring

The process of extracting a cylindrical sample of rock, called a "core", for geological or geotechnical analysis....